Tiger Woods sent along his congratulations Thursday to Tom Watson, named captain of the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team. / Bret Hartman, AP

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

Tom Watson says any past disagreements with Tiger Woods are just that. Past.

"My relationship with Tiger is fine," Watson said in a news conference Thursday after he was named U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2014 matches in Gleneagles, Scotland. "Whatever has been said before is water under the bridge, no issues."

Watson has at times been a strong critic of Woods because of his behavior on the golf course. Much of that criticism came out in the aftermath of the scandal that engulfed Woods in late 2009 and early 2010.

"I hope Tiger, first of all, is on my team," Watson said. "He's the best player maybe in the history of the game. He brings a stature to the team that is unlike any other player on the team. And if he's not on the team for any unforeseen reason, and I'm sure he will be, you can bet that he's going to be No. 1 on my pick list.

"... Obviously there's nobody else in the golf world who wanted to win more than Tiger, and he did it for so many years. He dominated this sport unlike anybody in the history of the sport. So I want him on my team."

For his part, Woods appears to be a strong supporter of Watson.

"I'd like to congratulate Tom Watson on his selection as Ryder Cup captain," he said. "I think he's a really good choice. Tom knows what it takes to win, and that's our ultimate goal. I hope I have the privilege of joining him on the 2014 United States team."